{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gas-underground-storage-inquiries-procedure-rules-1966/note",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gas-underground-storage-inquiries-procedure-rules-1966/note.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1966/1375",
  "legislation_title": "The Gas (Underground Storage) (Inquiries Procedure) Rules 1966",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/gas-underground-storage-inquiries-procedure-rules-1966",
  "path": "note",
  "kind": "note",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Explanatory note",
  "text": "These Rules prescribe the procedure to be followed at public local inquiries into applications made by the Gas Council or Area Gas Boards to the Minister of Power for the authorisation of the storage of gas in natural porous strata underground, and at public local inquiries into a proposal by the Minister of Power to make a storage authorisation order which enlarges the protective area described in the application made to the Minister.\nRule 4 prescribes the procedure before the inquiry. It requires the Minister of Power to notify the gas authority of the substance of any objections he has received. Not less than 42 days' notice of the inquiry must be given by the Minister, unless the parties agree to shorter notice. Rule 5 requires the gas authority, if they have not already done so, to serve on each statutory objector a written statement of the submissions that they propose to make at the inquiry, and the statement must include any views expressed in writing by a government department to the gas authority in support of the application. Any person interested must be given a reasonable opportunity of inspecting and taking copies of the statement.\nRule 6 describes the persons who are entitled to appear at the inquiry; and gives to the person holding the inquiry the discretion to allow any other person to appear. Rule 7 provides for the representation, at the request of any statutory objector, of any government department which has expressed a view in support of the gas authority's application.\nRule 8 prescribes the procedure at the inquiry, and Rule 9 makes provision for the inspection of the land concerned by the person appointed to hold the inquiry.\nRule 10 provides for the appointed person making a report to the Minister, which must include his findings of fact and his recommendations, if any, or reasons for not making any recommendations. Where the Minister differs from the appointed person on a finding of fact or after the close of the inquiry takes into consideration any new evidence (including expert opinion on a matter of fact) or any new issue of fact (not being a matter of Government policy) and is in consequence disposed to disagree with any recommendation made by the appointed person, he must not come to a decision at variance with the recommendation without first giving the gas authority and any statutory objector who appeared at the inquiry an opportunity of making representations or (if the Minister has taken into consideration any new evidence or new issue of fact) of having the inquiry re-opened.\nRule 11 requires the Minister to notify his decision and reasons to the gas authority and the statutory objectors, and to any other person who appeared at the inquiry and who has asked to be notified.\nRule 13 sets out the modifications in the Rules in their application to a public local inquiry in the case of a proposal by the Minister of Power to make a storage authorisation order which enlarges the protective area described in the application.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1966/1375/note",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T23:41:46.797726+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}